Police departments in cities across the country are beefing up their ranks for Election Day, preparing for possible civil unrest and riots after the historic presidential contest.

Public safety officials said in interviews with The Hill that the election, which will end with either the nation’s first black president or its first female vice president, demanded a stronger police presence.

Some worry that if Barack Obama loses and there is suspicion of foul play in the election, violence could ensue in cities with large black populations. Others based the need for enhanced patrols on past riots in urban areas (following professional sports events) and also on Internet rumors.

Democratic strategists and advocates for black voters say they understand officers wanting to keep the peace, but caution that excessive police presence could intimidate voters.

Sen. Obama (Ill.), the Democratic nominee for president, has seen his lead over rival Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) grow in recent weeks, prompting speculation that there could be a violent backlash if he loses unexpectedly.

Cities that have suffered unrest before, such as Detroit, Chicago, Oakland and Philadelphia, will have extra police deployed.
In Oakland, the police will deploy extra units trained in riot control, as well as extra traffic police, and even put SWAT teams on standby.

“Are we anticipating it will be a riot situation? No. But will we be prepared if it goes awry? Yes,” said Jeff Thomason, spokesman for the Oakland Police Department.

“I think it is a big deal — you got an African-American running and [a] woman running,” he added, in reference to Obama and GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. “Whoever wins it, it will be a national event. We will have more officers on the street in anticipation that things may go south.”

The Oakland police last faced big riots in 2003 when the Raiders lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl. Officials are bracing themselves in case residents of Oakland take Obama’s loss badly.

Political observers such as Hilary Shelton and James Carville fear that record voter turnout could overload polling places on Election Day and could raise tension levels.

Shelton, the director of the NAACP’s Washington bureau, said inadequate voting facilities is a bigger problem in poor communities with large numbers of minorities.

“What are local election officials doing to prepare for what people think will be record turnout at the polls?” said Shelton, who added that during the 2004 election in Ohio voters in predominantly black communities had to wait in line six to eight hours to vote.

“On Election Day, if this continues, you may have some tempers flare; we should be prepared to deal with that but do it without intimidation,” said Shelton, who added that police have to be able to maintain order at polling stations without scaring voters, especially immigrants from “police states.”

Carville, who served as a senior political adviser to former President Bill Clinton, said that many Democrats would be very angry if Obama loses. He noted that many Democrats were upset by Sen. John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) loss to President Bush in the 2004 election, when some Democrats made allegations of vote manipulation in Ohio, the state that ultimately decided the race.

Experts estimated that thousands of voters did not vote in Ohio because of poor preparation and long lines. Carville said Democratic anger in 2004 “would be very small to what would happen in 2008” if the same problems arose.

No big secret the whole 'election' is a farce as with every one since 11/63. Had JFK not been murdered and the Khazars been put in their place we wouldn't be facing this bizarre situation where a white hating, social promoted negro is running on the demo ticket and a completely discredited navy flyer is running on the repub ticket...

At least they don't have their heads so far up their asses that they're prepared to sacrifice hundreds of human lives just to keep up the pretense that they "weren't racist" by actually being ready for any possibly emergency. I suppose that deserves some kind of pat on the back, or something.

Isn't it funny that they are not preparing for Whites rioting if Citizen McCain doesn't win.

And isn't it funny that no one seems to think it particularly unusual that blacks would riot because of a perceived injustice instead of proceeding along some civilized course. I guess it's what people would expect of blacks.

Isn't it funny that they are not preparing for Whites rioting if Citizen McCain doesn't win.

And isn't it funny that no one seems to think it particularly unusual that blacks would riot because of a perceived injustice instead of proceeding along some civilized course. I guess it's what people would expect of blacks.

Yeah.. the government must be racist or something..

__________________

In order to have common sense, there must be a common culture, a common blood, a common soul.
When a brainwashed multicultist claims "they're not all that bad," remember that just because every hailstone doesn't hit you in the head, there's no excuse for standing in the storm.

As Christ Himself said of the evil pharisees, whose spiritual descendants are the talmudic jews:

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44

And isn't it funny that no one seems to think it particularly unusual that blacks would riot because of a perceived injustice instead of proceeding along some civilized course. I guess it's what people would expect of blacks.

I suspect that those precincts that are mostly black will have the Negroes chanting "O-BA-MA, O-BA-MA, O-BA-MA" while waiting in line.

I wonder if they will turn the Negroes away who wear Obama shirts, hats and buttons? When I voted they told me that I could not wear my Ron Paul button and that I'd have to remove it. I guess we'll see.